Barcroft Academy
Barcroft Academy is a converter academy in Willenhall for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 453 pupils and room for 472. About 47 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Barcroft, Willenhall, WV13 1NA01902 368132barcroft.lhmat.comMrs Gillian Locke headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 October 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 17 November 2021 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
60 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of Barcroft Primary School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Walsall | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 60 | 63 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 60 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 47% | 60% | 55% | 52% | 64% | 33% | 62% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 3% | 8% | 7% | 13% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 103.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 | 108.0 | 100.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 | 99.0 | 104.3 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 101.0 | 105.7 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 73% | 65% | 68% | 57% | 78% | 58% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 70% | 68% | 68% | 72% | 76% | 45% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 52% | 71% | 70% | 75% | 78% | 68% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.5 | -0.4 | +2.2 | -0.6 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.7 | +1.1 | +0.6 | -2.6 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 38% | 43% | 47% | 38% | 56% | 27% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 57% | 70% | 64% | 74% | 76% | 50% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Barcroft Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
The last child to get a place lived 0.8 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 0.8 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 60 families put it down as their first choice and 59 of them got in (98%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 60 | 60 | 89 | 60 | 98% | 0.8 miles | LA |
What a home within 0.8 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (21), Moderate learning difficulty (14), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (7), Other difficulty or disability (5).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.7% | 7.1% | 6.8% | 6.7% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.5% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 5.1% | 2.3% | 2.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 22.0% | 20.9% | 20.6% | 23.5% | 8.2% | 8.6% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for Barcroft Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Giles Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 610 m | 449 | Good 2024 | 83 | Compare |
| Bentley West Primary School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 436 | Requires improvement 2022 | 1 | Compare |
| County Bridge Primary School | Council | 0.7 miles | 229 | Good 2022 | 87 | Compare |
| Short Heath Junior School | Council | 0.7 miles | 305 | Good 2022 | 8 | Compare |
| Rosedale Church of England C Infant School | Church of England | 0.8 miles | 199 | Good 2023 | 8 | Compare |
| Fibbersley Park Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 619 | Good 2023 | 17 | Compare |
| Lodge Farm Primary School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 376 | Good 2024 | 13 | Compare |
| King Charles Primary School | Council | 1.1 miles | 436 | Good 2020 | 13 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Barcroft Academy a good school?
Barcroft Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in October 2022.
What is Barcroft Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Barcroft Academy good at its last full inspection on 18 October 2022.
How good are Barcroft Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 47% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Barcroft Academy have?
453 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 472 places, so it is 96% full.
Is Barcroft Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.8 miles away. 60 families put it down as their first choice and 59 of them got in. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Barcroft Academy?
Pupils were in school 92.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Barcroft Academy?
The average class had 26.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does Barcroft Academy have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Barcroft, Willenhall, WV13 1NA
- Telephone
- 01902 368132
- Website
- www.barcroft.lhmat.com
- Headteacher
- Mrs Gillian Locke
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Walsall
- Ward
- Willenhall South
- Constituency
- Wolverhampton South East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2025 (academy converter)
- URN
- 151997 · LAESTAB 3353329 · UKPRN 10098542
- Formerly
- Barcroft Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Walsall council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.